1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method of transmitting audio messages over a network, and more particularly, a method of emulating voice messaging using electronic mail technology.
2. Background of the Invention
Electronic mail (“email”) has proliferated as a common method of communication. Initial communications consisted of ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) text. In an ASCII file, each alphabetic, numeric, or special character is represented with a 7-bit binary number (a string of seven 0s or 1s). 128 possible characters are defined. However, basic ASCII text email messages have progressed to include graphics, audio and even video. Graphic images, digital audio files and digital video all require an encoding and decoding process when transmitted over the Internet. A user wishing to encode a voice message and send the message to a preselected email address had to accomplish several steps and have certain hardware and software equipment. The user would typically record their voice message on a computer using a sound card attached or integrated into the motherboard of a computer.
The voice message is a sequence of analog signals that are converted to digital signals by the audio card, using a microchip called an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). When sound is played, the digital signals are sent to the speakers where they are converted back to analog signals that generate varied sound. Audio files are usually compressed for storage or faster transmission. Audio files can be sent in short stand-alone segments—for example, as files in the WAV format. In order for users to receive sound in real-time for a multimedia effect, listening to music, or in order to take part in an audio or video conference, sound must be delivered as streaming sound. More advanced audio cards support wavetables, or precaptured tables of sound. The most popular audio file format today is MP3 (MPEG-1 Audio Layer-3).
Once these digital audio files reside on the hard drive of the user, the user would attach the file to an email sent to a selected recipient. When the file is attached, it might be transmitted in a standardized protocol such as Multi-Purpose Internet Mail Extensions (herein “MIME”). MIME is an extension of the original Internet e-mail protocol that lets people use the protocol to exchange different kinds of data files on the Internet: audio, video, images, application programs, and other kinds, as well as the ASCII handled in the original protocol, the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP). In 1991, Nathan Borenstein of Bellcore proposed to the Internet Engineering Task Force that SMTP be extended so that Internet (but mainly Web) clients and servers could recognize and handle other kinds of data than ASCII text. As a result, new file types were added to “mail” as a supported Internet Protocol file type.
Attempts have been made to develop unified messaging systems that link video, text, audio, document management and the like into a single system. However, such attempts have not provided a means to enable voice messaging to maintain continuity throughout a thread, store outbound voice communications, and provide a reply function equivalent to the simplicity of email replies. Furthermore, many unified messaging application require expensive proprietary equipment wherein typical SMTP email servers are inexpensive, well-developed and already employed by most medium or larger business entities.
Consequently, there is a need in the art for a method of transmitting an audio voice message to an email address without the need of a computer.
There is a further need in the art for a method of replying to an audio voice message without the need to key in a telephone number.
There is a further need in the art for a method maintaining a thread of voice mail correspondence.
There is a further need in the art for a means to store and validate the transmission and content of an outgoing voice message.
There is a further need in the art for a novel dual email and telephone extension identity for user to access voice messages from a telephone or computer using a common set of alphanumeric characters.
There is a further need in the art for a new means of delivering audio advertisements to a captive audience.
There is a further need in the art for a new means of obtaining survey and demographic data.
There is a further need in the art for a method to provide untethered access to voice and email messaging using voice command zones.
There is a further need in the art for a means of scheduling the delivery of voice messages to enhance the impact on the recipient.
However, in view of the prior art in at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified needs could be fulfilled.